Way up a holler between a couple of prominent knobs, below Panther (pronounced "Painter") Knob, we're building a log cabin. Go to the archives and start at the bottom for a chronological story. Comments are welcome! This diary of a project may digress and venture into literature, life, and my reflections on any particular day.

To the uninformed, the long, twisting cracks appearing in many of the logs might be alarming. Some are deep, some run the length of the log, through the corner joint and onward to the butt end. Fortunately, my log cabin research tells me that they're not a structural issue. I'll even be able to spray more Penetreat into the upward-facing checks before caulking them all up, chinking the walls, and staining the logs.

Checks occur when wood dries unevenly, as is inevitable when there's a sunny side, or some walls are more exposed to wind. Poplar is particularly prone to checking. As long as they're under our deep eave, prevented from collecting water, it's all good.